Cash for a month
Cash is so last millennium…
By using credit cards and store cards, expensive things can be ours in an instant! Plastic whispers to us that this is not real money, and so the debts mount up!
Ask yourself this question: when was the last time you bought anything with cash? I’m not talking about a daily newspaper or a pint of milk, but a more significant spend like the £100 Tesco shop! It feels more difficult to spend money when you have to physically take the notes from your wallet or purse and hand them over to the cashier.
Cash In Hand
Not so long ago I committed to using cash for a whole month. I was so used to making the smallest of purchases on Switch/Maestro, that putting my cards away for a month almost sent me into shock. Here was the deal.
I worked out what I would spend in the coming week and withdrew that amount in cash from the bank.
I then spent according to my budget. If something unexpected came up, I would make allowances elsewhere. Once the money had gone, it was gone until I could start the cycle again the following week. I did this for 4 weeks… a month without cards!
So why on earth do this?
Well, by the end of the month I was pleasantly surprised! I had learned how to create a budget, not easy to start with, but worth it! I began to understand where my money was going, and maybe more amazingly, I actually saved money!
Cash may be last millennium, but at least I discovered where my money was going. Try it yourself – and who knows what you will discover…
Accept the challenge?
Sign up for Cash for a Month at www.careforthefamily.org.uk/cfam
Written by Graeme Hunter.
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